This invention is related to a belt having an enlarged, unpadded central panel of 1/4 inch leather placed into the small of the user's back so that when the belt ends are connected together around the abdominal muscles, the belt and the abdominal muscles cooperate to support the lumbar vertebrae.
The spinal column or back bone is built up of a series of block-like bones called vertebrae, stacked on top of one another. A single vertebra is a flat, roughly circular bone with rearward projecting knobs to which muscles are attached. Between the vertebrae are pads of elastic cartilage which absorb shocks and permit overlying vertebrae to bend and twist a bit without grating upon each other.
Although the spine is continuous, the curves and certain areas of the spine have special names. The head is carried at the upper end of the cervical or neck region which has seven vertebrae. Below is the thoracic segment of 12 vertebrae which carry the ribs.
The lumbar are is below the thoracic section. There are five large lumbar vertabrae, and the general region is sometimes called the "small of the back". It is a sort of pivot for rocking movements of the upper part of the body upon lower parts and is subjected to concentrated stresses. This is an area of discomfort for many.
The prior art discloses several devices for bringing comfort to this area. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,957, which issued Nov. 18, 1986 to James D. Curlee, disclsoes a therapeutic corset adapted for the sacrum lumbar and thoracic regions of the body. The corset includes a padded bladder provided with a duct for introducing fluid. The inflated bladder is disposed next to the user for the purpose of "filling" the unique contours of the sacro-lumbar region of the spine by providing a pressure for comfort to specific areas while controlling the overall stability of the thoracic spinal region.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,143 which issued Feb. 20, 1973 to Curt H. Johnson, discloses a "Lumbar-Sacral Support". Johnson teaches of a corset for obviating the problems of existing supports which use "relatively rigid non-flexible stays" and cause unequalized and undesired pressure against various regions of the lower torso. Johnson's flexible corset has an enlarged portion carrying a plurality of elongated, vertically extending, laterally spaced stays placed over padding disposed adjacent the inside face of the corset. The padding precludes direct contact between the patient and the prebent stays.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,135, which issued Nov. 12, 1985 to Gabor B. Racz, et al, also shows a "Lumbar Belt" with a relatively large rear belt section superimposed over the small of the back, and an air filled chamber disposed between the small of the back and the belt.